The value of green spaces on campus

By Joseph Dubner •

The term “chronically online” is a recently coined phrase to describe people who spend so much time on the internet that they are disconnected from reality. The cure to chronic online-ness, according to the denizens of the internet, is to “go outside and touch some grass.” Obviously, this is a humorous expression, but there is a deeper meaning behind it.

The connections between being outside and mental wellbeing are well understood by scientists. It seems that taking a break from the internet, going outside and socializing with people actually does help to combat the fear, anger and dissociation that online echo chambers can produce. It is for this reason, among many others, that it is beneficial for everyone at NSU to spend more time outside at one of NSU’s many Green Spaces.

Paul Arena, associate professor and faculty adviser of the Nature Club, has been at NSU since 2005 and has seen the amount of Green Spaces on campus grow.

Arena oversaw the creation of the Nature Club’s Native Narrows Wildflower Garden back when it was “located on the east side of the Parker building in that narrow strip of landscape between the covered walkway.” Today, this garden lies adjacent to the Medicinal Garden and Mesozoic Garden, facing the library quad with a large wooden sign beckoning to the curious pedestrian to take a closer look. The Wildflower Garden is such a uniquely natural area on campus that Arena and other biology professors use it as a place of study for their classes. He hopes that the Wildflower Garden can serve as an example to individuals who may want to grow native species in their own backyard.

Jeffrey Hoch, associate professor in the Department of Marine and Environmental Science, reaffirmed the importance of more natural areas on campus.

“Many migrating birds need natural areas,” Hoch said. “They provide space for organisms we care about, like endangered organisms. NSU’s gardens act as important habitat for the Florida Blue Atala butterfly (endangered) among other things.”

The Wildflower Garden now serves as a welcoming entry into the Medicinal Garden, a functional living building made of plants that some students affectionately referred to as “Narnia.” Michael Voltaire,  associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, agrees that the Green Spaces on campus are more important now than ever to protect. He found it upsetting that people are spending less time outside post-pandemic.

“We used to play outside, but people tend to stay indoors now,” he said. “We were so accustomed for the past two years of staying away from the campus and doing everything remotely. It’s unfortunate.”

He hopes that people are once again becoming more willing to spend quality time outdoors, like he does walking around Gold Circle Lake, running around his neighborhood and playing soccer at his local park.

“We need to reserve these spaces for people, so they can come and enjoy and have a space outside,” said Voltaire.

The Community Garden is the perfect spot for this.

“Absolutely love the new area dedicated to the Community Garden. It is large enough to provide a diverse array of green spaces to our NSU community,” Arena said.

On this subject, Hoch agreed. “Anything growing is preferable to more concrete,” he said.

Voltaire said he did not know the Community Garden existed but was delighted to learn that NSU had set aside land for students to practice gardening.

“If they have a space where they can do this kind of gardening, of course [it is beneficial], especially [if] they’re away from home and living indoors,” he said.

Tatum Hedrick, student sustainability coordinator and community garden manager, is one such person stuck indoors. He now lives in a tiny apartment with no balcony or outside view. “This is my backyard now,” he said, while watering a recently sprouted melon plant in the Community Garden. “In some ways, it’s better than a backyard.”

The Community Garden should be thought of as NSU’s backyard—a place where students and faculty can go to relax, picnic, garden, play sports, connect with others and enjoy touching the grass.